The Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority today unanimously approved County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’s motion to establish a Construction Careers Policy (CCP) for the hiring of local residents for the next phase of the Exposition Light Rail Transit Line project.
“This CCP is the strongest employment policy in the Metro Transit Authority’s history,” the Supervisor said.
“It will bring over 4,000 desperately needed jobs to residents in our community who will now have employment opportunities with future light rail, subway and highway projects.”
Phase II of the Exposition Metro Light Rail line project will extend from Culver City to Santa Monica, providing both construction period and permanent job opportunities for hundreds of residents.
“This will be an extremely significant local hiring policy, and it will help to ensure that Measure R ‘half cent sales tax’ funded projects will benefit L.A. County residents,” Mr. Ridley-Thomas said.
Under the Supervisor’s proposal, the new CCP policy will ensure that at least 30 percent of total construction hours, under a Project Labor Agreement with building trade unions, are performed by residents who live in high unemployment zip codes, where rates are equal to or in excess of 150 percent of the County average, or within five miles of the project alignment from L.A. to Santa Monica.
At least one third of that amount will be set aside for economically disadvantaged persons who reside in the construction area.
Mr. Ridley-Thomas spearheaded the effort, a key victory in his campaign to put Second District residents back to work.
The next step is a similar policy for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center and buildings surrounding the renovation of the In-Patient Tower—the site of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital.
Supervisors will vote on a CCP for the hospital and related projects at the Tuesday, Oct. 5 Board meeting open to the public.
